Senior swims after family

What does a pool, three brothers, and a passion for swimming equal? The perfect environment for an outstanding family legacy of swimming.

Senior Adam Hinshaw is the youngest member of his family who has continued their reputation for success in the pool. A diverse swimmer who specializes in distance free-style, Hinshaw is one of the best swimmers the school has seen, with a CCS victory under his belt along with five other top-10 finishes.

“I always grew up around the pool and played in the water when I was a kid,” Hinshaw said. His family belonged to a country club, an opportunity that helped kick-start his affinity for the water.

“My brothers wanted to take up swimming so I followed them and started to swim as well,” Hinshaw said. After trying out their trade, he was immediately hooked, and devoted much of his free time to the sport, dedicated to becoming the best.

“We’re always racing and competing for the fastest times in the family,” Hinshaw said. Both his brothers continued to swim at the Division 1 collegiate level after winning impressive titles at Saratoga. His oldest brother, Ryan, is currently swimming for Indiana University, while the other, Ben, swims close to home at UC Berkeley.

With both his brothers swimming in a higher pressure environment, Hinshaw now has the chance to leave his own mark.

“I motivate them to work hard,” Hinshaw said. “It’s mutually beneficial.”

While Hinshaw was inspired by his brothers, his parents were the first to dive into the sport.

“Both my parents swam and my dad went to this school and swam here,” Hinshaw said. “We all just followed each other.”

Besides participating in varsity swimming at Saratoga, Hinshaw swims for a club team called Stanford Aquatics, where he trains year-round.

“When the high school swim season starts, I continue to train with the club team but I’ll go to the meets for the high school; I still represent Saratoga High,” Hinshaw said.

One of Hinshaw’s more recent victories is his qualification for a national team called the Junior Pan-Pacific Team this past summer. The team recruited the top two swimmers under 18 in the country for every event to compete in an all-expense paid trip to Maui. Hinshaw qualified for the 1,500 meter swim but had the opportunity to participate in free-style as well.

As a second semester senior, Hinshaw is looking forward to next year when he will be swimming for UC Berkeley in the same division as his brother. The team’s No. 1 ranking makes them a favorite to win the NCAA championship.

“I’m very excited for that,” Hinshaw said.